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8.11.2011

B44

Located in the very cute Belden Lane. 2006 visit. At the time I tried this place it was one of the very few Catalan restaurants in the bay area.

Bread with olive tapenade for dipping

Fancy presentation of the bread, but unfortunately sort of stale. Precusor of what was to come?

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5 hour braised oxtail, mashed potatoes, red wine sauce

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I realized this picture probably doesn't look the most appetizing, but it was actually the oxtail was tender (It better be after braising for 5 hours!). Nothing amazing here just a standard executed meat and potatoes dish.

Fired roasted piquillo peppers stuffed with seafood - pimenton sauce

This dish was actully sort of bland and the texture was mushy. Definite pass.

The paella dishes are probably the most popular/must order item in a Spanish restaurant, especially at this place, if its on the menu, but this one was dry and the bottom of the pan had rice that was undercooked. It was hard to enjoy anything from this dish with hard kernals of rice in every bite.

Verdict: I went here in 2006 so maybe things have changed, but I remember thinking afterwards that maybe it was because I didnt have much experience with the cuisine to give a fair judgement. Since this meal I have eaten my way through Spain and looking through these pictures and recollecting this meal - its definitely a poor represenation of Catalan cuisine.